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Are you ready to fight for control of hip hop’s underworld? Compete to survive in the gritty reality of the urban underworld in Def Jam® FIGHT FOR NY™, the only fighting game featuring five intense fighting styles, hardcore hip-hop music, more than 40 hip-hop artists and celebrities, and seedy urban venues. Develop your fighting skills, get down with your crew, and battle for control of the streets.

The gangsta superstars of hip-hop square off to settle their differences with their fists rather than their music.

Electronic Arts' love affair with all things 'street' and 'urban' continues with the latest in its Def Jam: Vendetta series. The real-life stars of the pioneering hip-hop record label slip into the shadowy world of Fight Club-style underground punch-ups. Rap legends such as Snoop Dogg, Flava Flav, Sean Paul and Xzibit step into the ring and proceed to beat the hell out of each other. The ultimate prize? Control of hip-hop's underworld.

Create your own fighter and customise him to your 'look' - fighting style, branded clothing, hairstyle and all important bling

Boxing, street fighting, wrestling and martial arts beat 'em up all in one

Hardcore content reflects the dark and gritty world of hip hop, but is strictly for over 18s

The battle for New York doesn't take place on the streets, it takes place in the clubs in Def Jam Fight for NY.

Features

40 Hip-Hop artists and celebrities

Learn five fighting styles

Create and customize your fighter

Battle and Story modes

The rift between Crow (played by Snoop Dogg) and D-Mob has boiled over. An all-out war, however, would attract the attention of law enforcement professionals. That's the type of attention neither man wants. So to settle the score, D-Mob's and Crow's crew fight it out in the clubs of New York. You fight as D-Mob's right-hand man, taking on all comers and taking over the clubs of Crow. As the stakes get higher, the consequences become deadlier between the two crews. In the end, there will only be one king of New York. What Did He Look Like?

The game shows its sharp personality as soon as you get past the opening scene. Instead of the traditional way of building a character, a witness you just assaulted is asked to make a composite sketch of you. Once you settle on your mug shot, you're ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

Customization doesn't end there. Before you make it through the 90-plus fights in Story mode, you will have unlocked more than 90 styles and colors of hair and facial hair, 270 tattoos, more than 300 pieces of clothing and more than 100 styles of jewelry. This doesn't even include different cuts and colors of clothes or metals and gems for the bling. Although you can unlock the 6 carat diamond earring, it's going to take you a while to earn the $100,000 it costs to put that rock in your ear.

Style is very important because it adds to your character's charisma. The more charismatic the character, the more chance you have of developing a following and bringing in more money from fights.

Brutal Style

You can look however you want, but if you don't know how to fight, you'll end up in the gutter in the Bronx. You chose a base discipline for your fighting style. As the game progresses, you may learn two more disciplines to add to your deadly manual arsenal.

Punk rock's muscle man Henry Rollins acts as your personal trainer. He knows all the moves and helps you get the most out of your discipline, whether it's kickboxing, street fighting, wrestling, martial arts or submissions. After each match won, you win development points to spend with Rollins in the gym.

You may pump up your attributes or buy lessons for another discipline or special Blazin' moves. After landing enough strikes in a fight, your Blazin' Meter fills up. Perform a Blazin' move by grappling your opponent and then press the C Stick in one of the four directions. The direction you press determines which move you perform. If your opponent's health is in the danger level, your Blazin' move will surely knock him out so hard he'll be asleep until next year.

EA Games improved the fighting engine from the game's predecessor, Def Jam Vendetta. The game has turned away from the wrestling angle and embraced all-out brawling reminiscent of underground scenes from Fight Club. The crowd acts as a neutral observer. When asked to choose what man they're rooting for, they pull for a violent beating. Crowd members grab you, hold up weapons for the fighters and get into the action by knocking you or your rival cold, if the mood strikes them.

Along with the crowd creating a ring for the fighters, interactive environmental elements help fighters bring the pain. Hey, that's not a jukebox, that's a receptacle for your opponent's head. Rub your enemy's face across a fence. Send him flying into the windshield of his Hummer. Some of these bone-crushing moves are definitely not for the squeamish.

Undeniable Character

The entertainers involved add personality to Def Jam Fight for NY. Method Man, Redman, Ice T, Snoop, Busta Rhymes: The list goes on and on. They talk serious trash and partake in some serious beat-downs. Their alliances to Crow or D-Mob play out as the game progresses. Sometimes, you will chose who has your back and who's going to try to bash your front.

In addition to the Story mode, the game features nine two- or four-player Battle modes. Use either fighters you have created or the Def Jam crew to square off in standard rules, crowd votes or no submission matches. In Battle matches you earn cash, development points and unlock rewards to gain access to other fighters and venues. You'll also unlock new features as you progress through the story mode.

Bottom Line

Fight for D-Mob and don the bling-bling. Def Jam Fight for NY is so addictive, you'll represent early and often.